What You Need to Know if You Are Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident at a Home Goods Store
If you suffer injuries from a slip and fall accident, you will have medical expenses plus you could face time off from work which will result in loss of income. You will also suffer ongoing pain and suffering because of your injuries. If you have suffered injuries because of a slip and fall accident, you may have to file a personal injury claim. If another entity is liable for your fall, they are responsible covering all your related expenses.
If proper precautions are taken, the majority of slip and fall accidents could be avoided. Many of them are because of maintenance issues not being addressed, spills or messes not being cleaned up, and proper safety and building codes not being followed precisely. It is the responsibility of the building owner or the store management to ensure everything is in tip-top shape and there are no safety hazards lurking.
Potential Slip and Fall Hazards in Home Goods Stores
If you are shopping in a home goods store you don’t expect to encounter risks that can cause you to slip and fall, but those dangers are real. If you are shopping for towels or bed linens, you don’t expect to step in spilled paint, or on a broken vase, or spilled soap. However, things are dropped or knocked off shelves and those types of products do sometimes end up on the floor. The store should have employees constantly scanning the different areas to ensure customer safety, so those kinds of spills can be quickly addressed and customers can be warned.
Other dangers can include the edges of rugs on the floors, plastic wrappers or tags that have fallen off products, or even plastic bags. Home goods stores must make sure they have slip-resistant floors that are easy to clean and that adhere to building code policies. Proper safety measures must also be followed to prevent shelving from toppling over or displayed furniture from falling onto customers if they fall against the merchandise.
Women Sue Stores After Suffering Slip and Fall Accident Injuries
According to AllLaw.com, a jury in California awarded a woman $400,000 after she allegedly slipped and fell while shopping in a Costco location. The injured woman allegedly fell on a puddle of soap that was claimed to have been passed by several Costco employees who took no effort to clean it up. The fall shattered the woman’s kneecap. Costco was ordered to pay the judgement for her medical bills, her pain, and her suffering. The jury felt Costco was negligent because employees had ample time to clean up the spill, but they did not.
According to AllLaw.com, a woman sued a Home Depot in Pennsylvania after she allegedly slipped on an unknown substance in the floor. When the woman demanded that the store provide the video surveillance of the accident, the store claimed that the relevant part of the surveillance video for the day in question had been deleted. The court found the woman in the right and awarded her $44,383.61 for her injuries.
Have You Slipped, Fallen, and Injured Yourself in a Home Goods Store?
If you have slipped and fallen in a home goods store, there is a chance that the store may be liable for your injuries. You should notify a store employee of any falls or accidents, and they should ask management to complete an accident report. If you have suffered from a fall, you should consult with a personal injury attorney to see if you can file a personal injury claim. Personal injury attorneys will aggressively fight for your rights and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries.
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Source: alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/stores-liability-slip-fall-accidents.html
